INDUSTRY NEWS


Last month's Skip Hire & Waste Magazine carried the strong views of Dave Hills from Bunting Magnetics about the industry's showpiece event RWM. This resulted in further comment from other leading fi gures.


RWM must change


AFTER coming away from RWM we felt disillusioned by the show, but also with the way it was set up and organised. We completely agree with Dave Hills that RWM should be every two years.


The waste industry is changing, and this show needs to change with it or die. We cannot believe RWM Event Director Nicola Meadows was even at the same show as us.


If visitor numbers were what organisers ‘expected’ as she claimed, then we are very disappointed.


Nearly half of hall 5 was empty, yet all seminars were in hall 4, and this directed most of the foot traffi c away from our stands.


The meeting coff ee area in hall 5 was massive, and we had many comments about how wide the gangways were. As for the large crazy golf section in our hall, this was a real insult - given how much our company was charged for space.


This was the poorest attended show we have seen in 16 years of exhibiting.


Air-Seal Products Limited do upwards of 10 trade shows a year both in the UK and overseas, so we are well versed in running stands and making them work.


We are very proactive at exhibitions, where we advertise our successful tyre sealants through demonstrations and customer interaction.


We were not the only quiet stand, and many exhibitors around us were saying they would not be back in 2018 - which is very disappointing to hear.


The zoning of the halls did not work for us either, and the number of leads was very low and down by 70%. You cannot sell to people if the numbers are poor.


The likelihood of us exhibiting next year is sadly slim, after 16 consecutive years


"Three days to meet everyone"


I HAVE been attending RWM since 2001, when the exhibition mainly catered for the plant and equipment associated with waste and recycling. Refuse collection vehicles started to appear in 2002, via manufacturers such as Faun and Farid Municipal Vehicles Ltd.


In 2004, all the main UK refuse collection vehicle manufacturers decided to exhibit at the exhibition - Dennis Eagle, Geesinknorba, Heil Europe, etc. Other major vehicle and equipment manufacturers like truck chassis and skip and hook loader manufacturers DAF, Iveco, Boughton, Hiab and Hyva participated in the exhibition in the following years.


In 2011, the RWM exhibition was held in conjunction with the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM). This increased the number of exhibitors and also gave a broader off ering of consultants, energy from waste plant manufacturers, and seminars.


The exhibition was an interesting place then to attend for network purposes, and to meet new contacts and visit exhibitors. From the period 2011-2014, I needed at least three days to meet everyone and explore.


Since 2015, the cost of parking at the N.E.C. has increased, and so too has the price of refreshments. I have also cut back on visiting the event from three days to one.


The last two years the event has been smaller than usual, with fewer visitors attending. Sadly it was disappointing, and defi nitely not as good a show as it once was.


The RWM exhibition could be improved by reducing the cost of stand space for exhibitors. This would increase the numbers of exhibitors, and would also make the exhibition much more appealing to visitors. Parking and refreshments costs could also do with reducing, as this would also increase numbers.


Timothy Byrne (left), B.Sc. (Wastes Management), MCIWM, ISWA IWM.


8 SHM November, 2017 www.skiphiremagazine.co.uk


RWM organisers respond to


comments from exhibitors via YouTube video


WE supplied RWM organisers with a copy of the comments made by Mr Burnand before publication, and asked for a response to his points.


A spokesman for the Birmingham showpiece event sent us a link to a YouTube video, which "sets out people’s reasons for attending and the importance of the show."


In the interests of fairness, we have now placed a link to the video on our webiste and this can be viewed via www.skiphiremagazine.co.uk


industry news


A LEADING fi gure in the waste and recycling sector has called for the industry’s once a year showpiece exhibition to be held biennially.


Highly respected insider Dave Hills, Head of Sales at Bunting Magnetics, has questioned whether there “enough new developments” to justify the annual RWM show in Birmingham.


He has also claimed the event may eventually be “at risk of closure” unless “an honest and open review, with input from visitors and exhibitors,” takes place as a matter of urgency.


BY ANDREW GOLD


Bunting Magnetics, along with their acquired business Master Magnets, were one of the showpiece exhibitors at the 2017 version of RWM at the NEC, where they demonstrated their world class Eddy Current Separator for non-ferrous metals and Stainless Steel Separator.


Numbers continue to fall


The critical comments were made in an earnestly worded company blog, posted after the three day event in September. In the blog, Bunting’s Mr Hills called on organisers to follow the lead of overseas exhibitions by adopting the biennial model for RWM.


He said: “Our major concern going forward is that the number of visitors to RWM


continues to fall each year.


“As openly discussed with exhibitors and visitors, there is a good argument for the show to be held every two years instead of annually. Indeed, many German exhibitions are only held every two or even three years.


“There are possibly not enough new developments in the waste and recycling sector to justify visitors attending the show every year. However, despite those concerns, the organisers simply seem intent on an annual show with the announcement of RWM18.”


While the Bunting Magnetics sales specialist admitted his team left Birmingham with “some very high quality leads,” he claimed visitors fi gures were down year on year, especially on days one and three.


He added: “At this year’s show, many exhibitors openly admitted they would not be attending RWM in 2018. This continued contraction of the primary exhibition for recycling and waste in the UK is a real concern.


“An honest and open review, with input from visitors and exhibitors, is needed. RWM should be a showcase for the whole waste and recycling industry, but further contraction may put it at risk of closure".


When contacted about the blog Mr Hills @SkipHireMag 0161 482 6200


RWM "at risk of closure" says top industry fi gure


confi rmed his comments, but hoped they would be taken as positive criticism and that he was aiming to kick start an honest debate about RWM.


“It’s in our interests as a company for RWM to be a brilliant, positive annual show,” he added. “However, we need a fresh approach and by speaking out I’m hoping to achieve this through a proper review which includes feedback from all parties.”


WHAT DO YOU THINK? Are you exhibiting at RWM18 as usual or not? Have you any concerns about the event going forwards? What are your views on the annual show – should it be held every two years?


Ascential's Nicola Meadows, RWM event director, reacts to criticism


"WE welcome feedback on RWM and actively seek it from across the industry, including exhibitors and visitors to the show to ensure it is meeting the industry’s needs. That is why we rebranded RWM17 and introduced a number of new features.


We also have exciting plans to further evolve RWM18.


Just as the industry doesn’t stand still, nor can we as show organisers. The changing nature of the sustainability agenda and increasing overlap between sectors, for instance, meant it made sense to bring the previously co-located energy, water and renewables show under the RWM umbrella.


@SkipHireMag


This made it easier for visitors to identify who they needed to see, when they may previously have felt the other shows weren’t for them. We are planning to develop this inter-relationship further to maximise opportunities for exhibitors and visitors next year.


Any show or exhibition will be judged to a certain extent on attendance fi gures. Although we are waiting for the audited numbers, we are satisfi ed that the expected amount of people were in attendance.


More importantly they were the right people.


Feedback from the majority of exhibitors we spoke to said that they were being


visited by decision makers and deals were being done.


We have, of course, considered the option of RWM being a biennial event, but the number of bookings we’ve already had for RWM18 and the popularity of the many seminar sessions and networking opportunities at RWM17 reinforce our view that there is a healthy appetite for the annual event.


With the challenges of Brexit to be negotiated, technology continuing to further develop and sustainability remaining high on people’s agenda, RWM18 will continue to play a key role in collaboration and development within the sector. "


SHM October, 2017 5


of attending.


Here at Air-Seal Products we believe Dave Hills is 100% correct with his views, and organisers need to have a good look at this show before they kill it off like the IWM show in Paignton.


Alex Burnand Managing Director Air-Seal Products Ltd Unit 8E Greenham Business Park


Greenham, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 0LR


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